Traction attachment for beds



April 23, 1963 Filed July 19, 1960 J. M. PAR] TRACTION ATTACHMENT FOR BEDS 2 Sheets-Shet 1 INVENTOR.

Jack M. Pan BY ATTORNEY April 23, 1963 J. M. PAR! TRACTION ATTACHMENT FOR BEDS Filed July 19, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. Jack M. Pan

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ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,086,519 TRACTION ATTACHMENT FOR BEDS Jack M. Pari, Pari Products, Elizabethtown, N.Y. Filed July 19, 1960, Ser. No. 43,817 8 Claims. (Cl. 128-75) The invention relates broadly to orthopedic devices, and more particularly to a traction device in the nature of an attachment for standard type beds.

A primary object of the invention is to provide a highly simplified and inexpensive traction device, primarily for use in the home, and readily attachable to substantially any conventional bed without altering the structure of the bed in any way.

Another object of the invention is to provide a traction device which may readily be applied to the bed and used for its intended purpose by the patient without assistance from some other person.

Another object is to provide a simplified traction device which eliminates the use of pulleys, ropes, clamps and weights, and wherein the degree of tension on the limb or spine may be readily adjusted by the patient by merely sliding upwardly or downwardly in the bed.

Another important object of the invention is to provide a traction attachment of the above mentioned character which is constructed and arranged so that the patient using the same may free himself instantly and without assistance in case of emergency.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a device of the above-mentioned character which may be utilized for applying traction to the limbs as Well as to the neck or spine.

Another object is to provide a traction device embodying novel and simplified indicator means to enable the patient to visually observe the degree of traction applied by the use of the device.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be come apparent during the course of the following detailed description,

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

FIGURE 1 is an exploded perspective view of a traction device according to the invention,

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a connector element forming a part of the device,

FIGURE 3 is a rear perspective view of an elastic foot trace,

FIGURE 4 is a side elevation of the traction device attached to a bed and applied to the limb of a person,

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged fragmentary central vertical traction device shown in FIGURES l and 4 when desired.

FIGURE 6 is a side elevation of a modified form of the traction device for applying traction to the arm,

FIGURE 7 is another modified form of the device for applying traction to the neck or spine.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration are shown preferred embodiments of the invention, attention is directed first to FIGURES 1 through 4, wherein the numeral 10 designates a conventional box spring of an ordinary bed, which bed also embodies a conventional 12 are readily insertable endwise between the matress 11 and box spring 10 at one end of the bed, and the weight of the mattress upon the baseboards 12 will firmly secure the latter in the desired positions without the necessity of clamps or other attaching means. The two baseboards 12 are inserted between the mattress and box spring in spaced apart preferably parallel relation, to suit the needs of the FIGURE 4. The pegs 14 are preferably slidable within section through an optional indicator device used'upon the the openings 15, but may have a slight snug fit therein, if preferred.

Preferably plastic semi-rigid connector elements 16 are provided, and each such connector element has a central opening 17 formed therethrough, receiving one of the pegs 14 in a snug or tight manner, but allowing lengthwise adjustment of the peg with respect to the connector element and baseboard 12, as required. The pegs 14 during use are disposed at right angles to the baseboards 12, and the connector elements 16 have their flat bottom faces resting directly upon the tops of the baseboards 12, as shown in FIGURE 4.

Rearwardly or inwardly of the pegs 14', the connector elements '16 have upwardly opening transverse grooves 18 formed therein, and these grooves are vertical and at right angles to the baseboard 12, FIGURE 4. A transversely elongated vertically disposed end board 19 has its lower edge portion snugly engaging within the grooves 18 of connector elements 16, and the baseboard 19 projects above the connector elements for a substantial distance and is' adapted to bear against the adjacent end of the mattress 11, to resist the tendency of the traction device to shift inwardly with respect to the mattress and box spring during use. The upper edge ofthe end board 19 preferably terminates slightly below the upper face of the mattress, as shown'in FIGURE 4. The end board 19 is preferably spaced somewhat from the rear sides of the pegs 14, as shown. The pegs 14- are readily adjustable vertically by merely locating the connector elements 16 at the desired points upon the pegs, as should be obvious. The lower portions of the pegs 14 below the baseboards 12 may also bear against the adjacent end of the box spring 10, although this engagement is not necessary.

Elastic foot traces 20 are provided, and each trace 20 is tubular and substantially cylindrical when in the relaxed condition shown in FIGURE 1. The foot traces are preferably formed of foam latex, or the like, having a reinforcing external covering of woven fabric which is circumferentiall-y stretchable. The traces 20 may be formed of any other desired material which is sufficiently elastic or stretchable.

The lower ends 21 of the traces 20 are preferably cut on the bias, as shown, and the traces are provided in their rear sides and near their longitudinal centers with circurnferentially extending slots 22, adapted to receive the foot during use, in the manner shown in FIGURE 4.

The circumferential portion 23 of the trace 20 engages over the instep, as shown in the drawings, and the circumferential portion 24 below the slot 22 engages the heel of the foot, as shown. The forward circumferential portion 25 of the foot trace 20 engages over the up standing peg 14 during use in the manner shown in FIGURE 4.

The user or patient may readily mount the traction attachment on the bed, in the manner shown and de scribed, and the foot trace or traces 20 are then applied to the feet in the manner shown and connected with the pegs 14. The patient regulates the degree of traction applied by the devicev to his limbs by merely sliding upwardly upon the mattress 11 a desired amount, and the elastic trace 20 in conjunction with the frictional engagement of the mattress with the patients body will apply the necessary traction to the limb directly, without the use of any weights, ropes, pulleys, springs and the like. The patient may obviously adjust the traction by shifting his position on the mattress 11, and the patient may free himself from the traction device immediately and without assistance whenever this is desirable.

With particular reference to FIGURE of the drawings, an optional visual indicator means for use upon the traction device shown in FIGURES 1 and 4 is illustrated. This indicator means comprises a preferably cylindrical resilient walled receptacle 26, preferably formed of polyethylene or like plastics material, commonly used in the making of the well known squeeze bottles for dispensing various fluid contents. The receptacle 26 is substantially tubular in construction, and comprises spaced concentric inner and outer walls 27 and 28, connected at their lower ends by a relatively narrow annular wall 29. The inner cylindrical wall 27 is closed by a top wall 30, and the outer cylindrical wall 28 is similarly closed at its upper end by a top wall 31, spaced from the wall 30, and carrying an upstanding tubular neck 32, externally screw-threaded at 33.

A substantially rigid internally screw-threaded tubular cap 34- has screw-threaded engagement upon the neck 32, and a flexible diaphragm 35 of greater elasticity than the walls of the receptacle 26 is tightly clamped between the top of the neck 32 and an annular shoulder 36 of the screw-threaded cap, FIGURE 5. The diaphragm 35 spans the bore 37 of the tubular neck 32 and the internal bore 38 of the cap 34 as indicated.

An upstanding reciprocatory indicator pin 39 is secured to the diaphragm 35 centrally thereof, and extends slidably through a reduced bore 40 in the top of the cap 34. The indicator pin 39 may be striped with different colors along its length as indicated at 41 in the drawings. The indicator pin 39 is bodily movable with the flexible diaphragm 35 when the same is flexed upwardly or downwardly.

The flexible walled receptacle 26 may contain air or other fluid in the closed chamber 42 formed by the walls 27, 28, 29, 30 and 31 and by the diaphragm 35. The inner tubular wall 27 of the receptacle 26 is telescoped endwise over the upstanding peg 14 previously described, and the wall 30 may engage the top of the peg 14 as shown in FIGURE 5. The elastic trace 20 is applied over the outer wall 28 of the receptacle in the same manner previously described in connection with FIGURE 4 where the indicator means has been omitted from the drawings. The forward circumferential portion 25 of the elastic trace engages about the receptacle 26, as shown.

When the trace 20 is stretched to apply traction to the limb, in the described manner, the outer wall 28 of the receptacle 26 will yield inwardly under the pressure exerted by the trace portion 25, and this will increase the fluid pressure in the chamber 42 and cause the diaphragm 35 to bow upwardly as indicated by the broken lines in FIGURE 5. The diaphragm 35 will bow upwardly to a greater extent than the inward flexure of the receptacle wall 28, because the diaphragm is preferably more elastic than the walls of the receptacle. When the diaphragm 35 bows or flexs upwardly, the indicator pin 39 will be shifted upwardly within the bore 40, and one or more of the colored stripes 41 will become visible to the patient above the top of the cap 34, to indicate the degree of tension which is being applied to the limb, through the medium of the trace 20 and traction device. The stripes 41 may be made proportional to any desired number of pounds of pull or tension upon the limb,

exerted by the traction device. By this means, the patient may know just how much tension he is applying to the limb at all times. As previously stated, the indicator means of FIGURE 5 may be used in conjunction with the traction device shown in FIGURES l and 4, or the indicator means may be omitted entirely if preferred.

It may also be mentioned here, although it should be obvious, that one or two limbs of the patient may be placed in traction by means of the device shown in FIG URES 1 and 4. The end board 19 spans both of the baseboards 12 and connector elements 16 in assembly, and serves to securely interconnect both units of the traction device during use. One or both limbs of the patient may be connected to the device by means of the elastic traces 20.

In FIGURE 6 there is shown a modification of the traction device for applying traction to an arm or arms of the patient instead of to the legs as indicated in FIG- URE 4. To this end, an elastic arm trace or hand trace 42' formed of the same material employed for the foot trace 20 is provided. The hand trace 42' is merely an elongated elastic loop having one end portion 43 engageable over the peg 14 and an opposite end portion or loop 44 engageable about the wrist of the patient. An adjustable clip 45 of plastics material, sheet metal or the like, slida-bly engages the hand trace intermediate its ends for adjustably securing the loop 44 to the wrist with the desired degree of snugness.

The construction and mode of operation of the traction means shown in FIGURE 6 are otherwise identical with the construction and operation previously described in connection with FIGURES 1 and 4. Additionally, the indicator means shown in FIGURE 5 may be employed optionally with the traction device of FIGURE 6.

In FIGURE 7, there is illustrated a further modification of the invention, wherein the traction device is adapted to place the neck or spine of the patient in traction, To this end, a suitable elastic head trace 46 of the desired design is provided, including an elastic loop portion 47 for connection with the upstanding peg 14. The head trace 46 embodies suitable adjustable harness means engageable with the chin and face of the patient, as shown. The construction and mode of operation of the device shown in FIGURE 7 is otherwise identical to the construction and mode of operation previously described in connection with FIGURES I, 4 and 6. Again, the device shown in FIGURE 7 may be used with or without the indicator means shown and described in connection with FIGURE 5.

If it is desired to apply traction to the head and lower limbs simultaneously by means of the apparatus shown in FIGURES 4 and 7, this may readily be done by arranging the head and foot traction units as shown in FIGURES 4 and 7, and the base'boards 12 may be suitably rig-idly connected beneath the mattress 11 by an extension board, not shown, adapted for rigid adjustable connection with the base-boards 12. This extension board will serve to prevent the head and foot traction units from being drawn together under traction and will retain the two traction units properly separated or spaced. If preferred, the two units shown in FIGURES 4 and 7 may be employed simultaneously without the mentioned interconnecting rigid extension board, and the baseboards 19 reacting against the opposite ends of the mattress will resist inward movement of the traction units.

It is to be understood that the forms of the invention herewith shown and described are to be taken as preferred examples of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to, without departing from the spirit of the invention or scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A traction attachment for a bed having a mattress and an underlying bed spring, said attachment comprising a baseboard insertable horizontally between the mattress and bed spring and having an end portion adapted to extend beyond one end of the mattress and provided with an opening, an upstanding peg mounted adjustably through said opening of the baseboard and adapted to extend above the top of the mattress, a connector element longitudinally adjustably mounted upon said peg and snugly engaging the peg and adapted to rest upon said end portion of the baseboard, said connector element having a recess formed in its top rearwardly of said peg, a substantially vertical end board engaged edgewise within said recess and projecting above said baseboard and connector element and adapted to abut the end of the mattress, and an elastic trace for attachment to a body portion of a patient resting upon the mattress and having a loop portion connected with said peg, whereby the patient may adjust his position upon the mattress and stretch said trace to place said body portion in traction without the need of outside assistance.

2. A traction attachment for a bed having a mattress and an underlying bed spring, said attachment comprising a pair of basebo-ards insertable horizontally between the mattress and bed spring in spaced apart relation and held stationary by the weight of the mattress, said baseboards having end portions adapted to extend beyond one end of the mattress and having openings formed therethrough, substantially vertical pegs mounted in said openings and adapted to extend above the top of the mattress, connector elements adjustably mounted upon said pegs and snugly engaging the latter and having bottoms engaged with the tops of said baseboards when the connector elements are in selected adjusted positions upon said pegs, said connector elements having upwardly opening grooves spaced rearwardly of said pegs and extending transversely of said baseboards, a substantially vertical end board having its lower edge engaged within said grooves for interconnecting the connector elements, baseboards and pegs, said end board adapted to abut the adjacent end of the mattress, and elastic tnaces for connection with body portions of a patient resting upon said mattress and having loop portions connected with said pegs.

3. The invention as defined lby claim 1, and a resilient fluid pressure operated visible indicator device carried by said peg intermediate the peg and said loop portion of the trace and including a movable indicator element which shifts to a visible position upon stretching of said trace by said patient.

4. A traction attachment for a bed having a mattress and an underlying bed spring, said attachment comprising a baseboard insertable between the mattress and bed spring and held therebetween by the Weight of the mattress, said baseboard having a portion adapted -to project beyond one end of the mattress and provided with an opening, an upstanding peg adjustably mounted in said opening and adapted to extend above the top of said mattress, a connector element having a bore snugly receiving said peg and being adjustable lengthwise upon said peg and adapted to rest upon said portion of the baseboard, said connector element having an upwardly opening groove formed therein rearwardly of said peg, an abutment element seated within said groove and adapted to engage the end of said mattress to resist shifting of said attachment in one direction relative to the mattress, a double walled resilient receptacle engaged telescopically over said peg and having a closed chamber containing a fluid, a stretchable diaphragm carried by said receptacle and spanning said chamber, a visible reciprocatory indicator element connected with said diaphragm and adapted to project above the top of said receptacle when the diaphragm is flexed in one direction, and an elastic trace connectable with a body portion of a patient resting upon said mattress and having a loop portion connected about the outer wall of said double walled receptacle, whereby fluid pressure in said closed chamber may be increased upon tensioning of said trace to elevate said indicator element to a visible position above the top of said recep tacle.

5. The invention as defined by claim 4, and wherein said diaphragm has a greater degree of flexibility than said outer wall of the double walled resilient receptacle.

6. The invention as defined by claim 4, and a screwthreaded neck upon the top of said receptacle, a screw threaded cap mounted upon said neck and having a shoulder engaging said diaphragm and clamping the same to the top of said neck, said cap having a bore slidably receiving said indicator element. 7

7. The invention as defined by claim 4, and wherein said visible reciprocatory indicator element is striped in different colors to indicate visually to said patient the degree of traction applied to the body portion with said attachment.

8. In a traction device, an upstanding rigid member for attachment to a bed, a resilient walled receptacle including spaced inner and outer walls defining a closed chamber, fluid means disposed in said closed chamber, said receptacle being recessed in its bottom and engaging telescopically over said member and bodily mounted thereon, a tubular neck for the top of said receptacle, a flexible diaphragm spanning the bore of said tubular neck and having one side exposed to the fluid means in said closed chamber, a visible reciprocatory indicator element engaging the other side of said diaphragm and movable axially in response to flexure of said diaphragm, and an elastic trace for connection with a part of the human body to be placed in traction and including a loop portion connected about the outer wall of said receptacle and adapted to compress said outer wall for elevating the fluid pressure in said closed chamber to flex said diaphragm when said trace is stretched in one direction.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,506,738 Earnhart Sept. 2, 1924 2,191,097 Morrison Feb. 20, 1940 2,669,866 Holmes Feb. 23, 1954 2,821,978 Lindstrom Feb. 4, 1958 2,952,855 Zu-ti Sept. 20, 1960 

1. A TRACTION ATTACHMENT FOR A BED HAVING A MATTRESS AND AN UNDERLYING BED SPRING, SAID ATTACHMENT COMPRISING A BASEBOARD INSERTABLE HORIZONTALLY BETWEEN THE MATTRESS AND BED SPRING AND HAVING AN END PORTION ADAPTED TO EXTEND BEYOND ONE END OF THE MATTRESS AND PROVIDED WITH AN OPENING, AN UPSTANDING PEG MOUNTED ADJUSTABLY THROUGH SAID OPENING OF THE BASEBOARD AND ADAPTED TO EXTEND ABOVE THE TOP OF THE MATTRESS, A CONNECTOR ELEMENT LONGITUDINALLY ADJUSTABLY MOUNTED UPON SAID PEG AND SNUGLY ENGAGING THE PEG AND ADAPTED TO REST UPON SAID END PORTION OF THE BASEBOARD, SAID CONNECTOR ELEMENT HAVING A RECESS FORMED IN ITS TOP REARWARDLY OF SAID PEG, A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL END BOARD ENGAGED EDGEWISE WITHIN SAID RECESS AND PROJECTING ABOVE SAID BASEBOARD AND CONNECTOR ELEMENT AND ADAPTED TO ABUT THE END OF THE MATTRESS, AND AN ELASTIC TRACE FOR ATTACHMENT TO A BODY PORTION OF A PATIENT RESTING UPON THE MATTRESS AND HAVING A LOOP PORTION CONNECTED WITH SAID PEG, WHEREBY THE PATIENT MAY ADJUST HIS POSITION UPON THE MATTRESS AND STRETCH SAID TRACE TO PLACE SAID BODY PORTION IN TRACTION WITHOUT THE NEED OF OUTSIDE ASSISTANCE. 